The present invention relates generally to an automatic door opener, and more particularly to passive automatic control of an overhead door.
In the prior art it has been necessary for a vehicle""s operator to manually control a remote device that opens and closes an overhead door. There are situations when it is either not practical, or not possible for an operator, i.e. one who is disabled, to activate a remote device in order to open or close an overhead door. In addition, it is a common problem for an operator to drive away from an overhead door, inadvertently failing to activate the remote device to close the door. This may compromise the security of the building attached to the door.
In the luxury automotive market, there is a need for features that not only save the vehicle operator effort, but also reflect the advanced technology available to the automotive industry. Outside of the luxury car market, there are also applications in which it is necessary, or convenient, to have an overhead door automatically open and close for handling deliveries, routing traffic, and a variety of other applications.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a passive, automatic overhead-door operating system. It is another object of the present invention to eliminate the need for a vehicle""s operator to activate a remote device in order to control the opening or closing of an overhead door.
It is a further object of the present invention to improve the security of a building, or area, that is accessed by an overhead door or gate mechanism.
In carrying out the above objects and other objects and features of the present invention, a method and apparatus are provided to automatically open and close an overhead door as a predetermined vehicle approaches or departs a predetermined vicinity of the overhead door. In the present invention, after the initial programming, there is no action needed by the vehicle operator in order to activate the remote operation of the overhead door.
The present invention works in conjunction with a global positioning system (GPS) and a vehicle equipped with a GPS receiver and a GPS controller. The GPS controller has a user interface that allows the vehicle operator to preset the control of the remote overhead-door opener in accordance with several predetermined vehicle locations in order to customize the operation of the automatic door opener. In addition, an override feature is available to allow the vehicle operator to prevent the door from opening or closing if it is so desired as well as operating the overhead door when the vehicle is away from the predetermined locations.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description and appended claims, and upon reference to the accompanying drawings.